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Capitalization

In the sentence Jernny teaches in the Drama Department, should Drama Department be capitalized? He takes a course in the history department? Should history department be capitalized? What are the rules?

Re: Capitalization

Originally Posted by Jennifer Nevsky

In the sentence Jernny teaches in the Drama Department, should Drama Department be capitalized? He takes a course in the history department? Should history department be capitalized? What are the rules?

Hi, I am not a teacher,

But you must capitalize the trademarks, acronyms (who refers to specific names), special events, and so fourth.

It is not all the specific rules for names, but in this case I do not capitalize the drama departement when youn speak about the place where Jenny teaches.

Re: Capitalization

Originally Posted by Jennifer Nevsky

In the sentence Jernny teaches in the Drama Department, should Drama Department be capitalized? He takes a course in the history department? Should history department be capitalized? What are the rules?

I do not know the answer to your question, but I am curious about it. Similar questions like that regarding capitalization rules keep poping up in my mind.

In your sentences, I would capitalize both Drama Department as well as History Department. I think it is a matter of the amount of importance the writer considers these departments to have. However, I would never reproach anyone who did not capitalize them in such situation.

Another day I asked here why Election Day is capitalized (what are the rules?). The answer I got was: "it is an important date". I understood it.

Maybe we should ask in the English Department about the rules?

Originally Posted by The French

For a period of history you should capitalize department history.

Here there is no period of history involved, the History Department is expected to deal with everything related to history, not just with a specific period of history - although they could specialize in a specific historic period,

Re: Capitalization

Originally Posted by Jennifer Nevsky

In the sentence Jernny teaches in the Drama Department, should Drama Department be capitalized? He takes a course in the history department? Should history department be capitalized? What are the rules?

The rules are that if there is a formal department called the Drama Department, then you can capitalize it. However it's sometimes optional. I'd be more inclined to capitalize 'Department of Drama' than 'drama department'.
You need to decide if it's a proper name (capitalized), or simply a description (not capitalized).

Re: Capitalization

I just would like to add that I have recently come across with:
"I finally met Andrew Wiles across a room, not crowded, but large enough to hold the entire mathematics department at Princeton."
from a foreword by John Lynch to the book Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh.
Observe that "mathematics department" is not capitalized. Naturally such a book foreword has passed through proof reading professionals.